We Watched It Burn
by SheerwaterPhoenix
Summary: A series of short little one-shots for the Silverwings who lost Tree Haven. Some are based on the book, some on the show. Second in my "We Weren't Just Nameless Faces" series.
1. Chapter 1

**Yay, I'm BAAAAAAACK! With the next installment of my "We Weren't Just Nameless Faces" series! So for those who liked We Believed in a Broken Promise, here's something else to read!**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Silverwing, Kenneth Oppel does, and Bardel did the TV series.**_

**This one is based on the book, and will probably be the only one based on the book.**

"You've made your reply, here is ours!" shouted Brutus as he spiraled higher.

The Silverwing newborn's heart clenched in horror as forty fire-bearing owls plunged down towards Tree Haven, flinging their flaming sticks at it.

"Put out the flames! Stop the fire!" yelled a voice. He didn't think about it; he just dove. Racing back to Tree Haven alongside dozens of others, only to be stopped by a barricade of owls. He braked as he saw some others knocked back by the owls' wings but grit his teeth and surged forward, barely making it past the huge, feathered wings.

He landed on the end of a branch that had caught fire nearer to the trunk and lunged at the flames, beating at them furiously with his wings. He was able to dampen them, but another branch above him fell and nearly crushed him. He jerked himself to the side just in time, but an owl saw him falter and battered him out of the sky with just one beat of its wings. The breath was knocked from his chest and he struggled to suck in air. He landed in an ungraceful heap at the base of the tree and shot out a net of sound to get his bearings.

Flames, silver in his echo vision, licked at his wings. He pulled them away before trying to smother the fire. But it wasn't working.

It has to work! he shouted at himself mentally. It can't not be working! His home couldn't burn up!

As the fire drew closer, he knew it was hopeless. He'd never put it out. With the despair growing in the pit of his stomach, his attacks on the flames became more feeble. Hopelessly, he dragged himself away, a lump in his throat. He flapped back to the forest and tried to keep the tears in as his home was destroyed.


	2. Chapter 2

**The character in this one is the one on the cover image.**

**This one is based on the TV series.**

"Look!" hissed Bathsheba in her raspy voice, horrified.

The young Silverwing looked, and wished she didn't. A squad of owls flying in formation were headed straight towards Tree Haven—with fire in their claws. The Silverwings took flight immediately, going for the forest as the first owl dove and flung the burning stick at Tree Haven.

She spread her violet wings and flew, fear coursing through her. What if the owls decided to start going after the bats? What if they started hunting them?

The owls kept swooping low and dropping the fire on Tree Haven. She nearly plunged down to help as her friend Breeze narrowly missed being flattened by a falling torch, but her mother, who had just found her, pulled her away.

"Don't fly down there!" her mother cried. "Go to the woods!"

She didn't want to leave—there were Shade and Ariel, fighting the fire! Shouldn't she be helping? But she didn't dare disobey her mother. A familiar blue shape flew overhead, her sister. If her sister, of all bats, was flying away, she should too. Her sister was one of the bravest bats she knew. She steeled herself and forced herself to roost in the forest. She was right by her sister. To make her feel safe.

"Silverwings retreat! We must all retreat now!" Frieda shouted from a few trees away, a rare panicked expression on her face.

The young Silverwing female watched as her home was burned down to ruins. Sadness overcame her and tears filled her eyes. But she saw neither of these things in her sister. Her sister was angry. She wanted revenge on the owls.

But she was crying. She could only think that she was nowhere as brave as her sister. Her sister never cried.


	3. Chapter 3

**This one is based on the TV series.**

The male Silverwing roosted near enough to the elders and owl to hear their conversation, but not near enough to stand out.

"Don't get to close!" his mother warned him.

"Brutus, please accept my deepest apologies for keeping you waiting," Frieda said to the owl as the newborn settled into his roost.

"Where's the boy?" Brutus demanded. The young bat shivered, although that had nothing to do with the slight cold. He was listening to Brutus, Supreme Commander of the Owls! He was here at Tree Haven! Everyone knew he was here about the lawbreaking runt, Shade, but knowing that he had only one target did nothing to settle the bats' fear.

"He's over there," said Frieda, pointing. Chinook, Breeze, and Todd flapped away from Shade, not wanting to be mistaken for the lawbreaker.

"Bring the boy to me, so we can settle this," the owl commanded.

"No."

Everyone's eyes widened at that. A bat, defy an owl? It was a death wish!

Brutus was taken aback. "Do as I say!" he barked angrily.

"I will not," Frieda replied.

"Frieda!" the owl snapped. "Such a decision jeopardizes the balance of nature!"

"Brutus," Frieda sighed, "you and I have flown in this forest for far to long. You don't truly believe that one young bat, glimpsing the sun, can upset the balance of nature, do you? Look into your heart!" She pointed at her own chest.

"I will not be manipulated," Brutus growled. "Emotions have no place in the execution of the law."

"My point exactly," Bathsheba rasped. "The owls were well within their—"

"General Brutus," Frieda interrupted, "with all due respect, as head of this colony I stand firm on this. No Silverwing will be sacrificed for the sake of _your_ unjust law."

_"__UNJUST LAW?!"_ he shouted. He launched himself from the branch and pounded down in front of Frieda. For one horrifying second the young Silverwing thought he was going to kill Frieda then and there, in front of the whole colony, but he instead ordered, "_Give us the boy."_

"No," Frieda said strongly. "I have spoken."

Brutus smirked. Oh no, what was he going to _do? _"Very well then. Prepare to suffer the consequences!" he bellowed, lifting off with a beat of his powerful wings.

He hadn't realized it, but the Silverwing was curled up in a ball on his roost, staring at the elders and clenching his teeth in dread. He screwed up his eyes, but then heard a strangled gasp of fear. He forced himself to look back at Bathsheba, who had made the sound. "Look!"

Everyone was staring at the same thing. Everyone had expressions of terror and horror on their faces.

Everyone saw the owls heading towards them. With burning branches in their talons.

Nocturna save us, the young Silverwing bat prayed as his colony fled in fear.

**THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER.**

**I'm going to write more "We Weren't Just Nameless Faces" fics; I'll get around to writing those soon.**

**Goodbye, Human beings!**


End file.
